The site consists of an impressive oval mound that rises 2.64 metres high, its flat top measuring 19 metres north to south and 11 metres east to west. At its base, the mound spreads to roughly 26 metres by 19 metres, creating a substantial earthen platform that would have once supported a wooden tower or fortification.

What makes this particular motte distinctive is the defensive fosse, or ditch, that encircles its base. Still visible in the northeast and southwest sections, this 4.2-metre-wide ditch was carved 0.7 metres deep into what appears to be solid bedrock; a considerable engineering feat for its medieval builders. The presence of another motte nearby to the southeast suggests this area held strategic importance, likely controlling river crossings or overseeing agricultural lands during the Norman period.

The site hasn’t escaped entirely unscathed through the centuries. Some quarrying activity has damaged the southeast quadrant, though the overall structure remains remarkably intact. As one of many Norman earthworks scattered across the Irish landscape, this motte at Killanafinch offers a tangible connection to the military architecture that reshaped Ireland following the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century.